Fielder&#39;s glove



Agra 29, 1930. E. Nom-E 1,756,377

FIELDER S GLOVEv Filed 0011. 14 1926 .l N VEA/fog .fl/mer n .NQ/fe.

TTORNE/s 20 the top edge of the web.

Patented Apr. 29, 1930 PATENT Fri ELMER NOLTE, OFST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR T RAWLINGS MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, A CORPORATION 0F MISSOURI j FIELDERS GLOVE Appiieationiea october 14,' 1926. sriai No. 141,511.

This invention relates to baseball gloves,

and particularly fielders gloves andl first basemens mitts of thetype in tively wide web is arranged transversely of the space between the thumb and index finger of the glove or corresponding portionof the mitt, so as to co-operate with said parts to form a rpocket for a caught ball.

In conventional gloves .and mitts of the i0 particular type mentioned the web 'is' formed from a straight strip of leather `combined with the thumb and index finger in sucha j manner that the top and bottom edges of said web are disposed approximately Vparallel and vl5 lie in substantially the same plane as the body portion of the 'web when the glove 1s used to catch aball. Accordingly, when -a ball strikes the web, vthere is 'a tendency for the ball`to slide upwardly and rearwardly over Moreover,'=as no provision is made for adjusting the webto. vary th length of same, a glove or mltt of a particular make that is satisfactory to. one user may -not be satisfactory to a different user who holds his thumb and index .finger in a different position during the operation of catching a ball. Y y' The main object'of my invention 1s to provide a fielders glove or first basemans mitt of the general type mentioned,v in which'the web between the thumb and index finger or corresponding portion is cupped forwardly sufficiently at its upper edge to overcome the tendency of a thumb and the index finger of a glove or the correspondingrportion of a mitt. y Another' object of my invention is to prio- 40 vide a glove or mitt of the general type mentioned, in which the web previously referred v to is so constructed that it can be adjusted to vary the overall length of same and also to vary the degree of curvature or forward cup- 5 ping of the top portion ofthe web. Other` objects and vdesirable features of my invention will be hereinafter p-ointed out.'

Figure l of the drawings is a perspective view of a elders glove constructed in acfo cordance with my invention.

which a relacaught ball to slide upwardlyl n out of the pocket formed by the web,` the Figure 2 is a perspective view, illustrating how the web can be adjusted; and

Figure 3 is a perspective view, illustrating another method of adjusting the web.

In the drawingsv A' and B designate the thumb and index finger, respectively, of a baseball glove of the kind commonly referred to as a fielders glove. Said thumb and index finger are joined together by a relatively wide web arranged transversely of the space between said parts and disposed so that the top edge portion m of same will Vbe vcupped j forwardly, or, in other words, will; project forwardly slightly beyond the plane in which the bottom edge y of said web lies, thereby forming a back stop for a caught ball that overhangs the top portion of the ball sufiiciently to overcome the tendency of the ball to slide upwardly out'of the pocket formed by said web, thumb and index finger. As shown in the drawings, the bottom edge of said web is spaced away from the crotch l between the thumb and index finger. Stated in another way, the web of my improved glove is provided with a top edge that is shorter or stretched tighterV between fthe thumb and index linger of the glove than'the bottom edge y of said web, thereby causing the lower edge portion of the web to bulge rearwardly sufficiently to forma back stop or back wall that is curved in two planes at right angles to each other and which will partly lsurround a caught ball and also pro` ject forwardly slightly over the ball. i

It is immaterial, so far as my broad idea is concerned, how theweb is formed and attached to the thumb and Aindex finger of the glove, so long as it has this distinguishing characteristic, i. e., atop edge portion disposed in such relation to the bottom edge portion of the web that it will slightly overhang a caught ball, Y I prefer, however, to construct the web so that it Vcan be adjusted easilyto change the overall length Vof theweb, and to` vary the length ofthe top edge of theweb rela-tively to the bottom edge.,y j l Y To this end I propose to form the web frolnian element l, attached preferably to the terminal portion of the thumb A, and/an element 2 attached preferably to the terminal portion of the index finger B, and provide an adjustable means for detachably connecting the free ends of said elements l and 2 together and hold them in overlapping relation. In the form of my invention shown in Figures l and 2 the element l of the web is provided at one end with a plurality of integral thongs 3 and 3f arrangedadjacent the top and bottom edges of same and adapted to be inserted through holes 4 and 4a in the element 2 and then secured in any manner, as, for example, by drawing said thongs taut and lacing them back and forth through holes 5 in the element l and aligned holes (not shown) in the portion of the element 2 that is overlapped by the element l.

The forward clipping of the top edge portion of the web is obtained by inserting the top thong 3 of the element l through one of the top holes 4 of the element 2 that is located closer to the index finger of the glove than the bottom hole 4EL in the element 2 through which the bottom thong 8a is inserted. Thus, if the element 2 is provided with a group of top holes 4 and a group of bottom holes 4a spacedthe same dista-nce apart, the bottom thong 3 can be inserted in the sixth hole of the bottom group 4a to the left of the index inger, and the top thong can be inserted in the fifth hole, or even the fourth hole of the top group 4, thereby making the top edge of the web considerably shorter than the bottom edge of the web when the thongs 3 and 3a are drawn taut and secured. It will, of course, be obvious that the overall length of the web can be changed by inserting both the top and bottom thongs in holes of the element 2 located closer to or farther away from the index linger of the glove. A web adjusting means of the kind referred to is easy to operate, it is inexpensive to construct, and as the thongs 3 and 3a are integrally connected to the element l, they hold the free end of said element snugly down against the part of the element 2 over which the element 1 laps...

It is not essential that the glove be provided with a web adjusting mea-ns of the kind above described, for any otherrmeans that will permit the overall length of the web to be changed and the length of the top edge of the web lrelatively tov the bottom to be varied can be used without departing' from the spirit ofmy invention. For example, instead of providing one element of the web with one or more integral thongs that are vadapted to beY laced through holes in the other element of the web, a separate or removable *thong or lacing 30 can be laced baclrand forth through aligned holes in the overlapping elements 1 and 2 of the web, as shown in Figure 3 of the drawing. I have not illustrated my invention embodied in a,l mitt, but I wish it to be understood that it is applicable to mitts.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A baseball glove or mitt provided with a thumb, an index finger or corresponding portion, a web arranged transversely of the space between said parts and consisting of a relatively wide, strip-like member and an adj ustable means for enabling the top edge portion of said web to be shortened or drawn tighter than the bottom edge of said web.

2. A baseball glove or mitt provided with a thumb, an index finger or corresponding portion, a relatively wide transversely disposed member attached to the terminal portions of said" parts so as to form a web between said thumb and finger, and means for enabling said member to be adjusted so as to vary the overall length of same or to make the top edge of said member shorter than its bottom edge.

3. A baseball glove or mitt provided with a thumb, an index finger or corresponding portion, a relatively .wide web attached to the terminal portions of said parts and composedl of two elements having overlapped portions, horizontally disposed rows of spaced holes in one of said elements located adjacent the top and bottom edges of the web, and a securing means carried by the other element 'that is adapted to cofoperate with said holes to connect said elements together.

4. A baseball glove or mitt provided with a thumb, an index finger or corresponding portion, a relatively wide web attached to the terminal portions of said parts and composed of two elements having overlapping portions, integral thongs on one of said elements, and'groups of spaced holes in the other element located adjacent the top and bottom edges of same that are adapted to receive said thongs.

5. A baseball glove or mitt provided with a thumb, an index finger or corresponding portion, and a web consisting of a relatively wide member arranged transversely of the space between said parts, with its bottom edge spaced away from the crotch between said thumb and nger, the top edge of said web being cupped forwardly so'as to overcome the tendency of a ball to slide upwardly out of the pocket formed by said web, thumb and index finger. j Y,

ELMER NOLTE. 

